Everything You Need to Know About Traditional Wedding Flowers

Planning weddings can be hectic for everyone involved. It starts with a very long to do list and wedding flowers are sure to be one of the big decisions. What many people don’t realize is how many flowers actually go into a wedding. There are a number of ways to use flowers in your wedding and we want to help you get started. Use this wedding flowers guide to plan and coordinate.

Wedding Flower Checklist

The first thing you should do is make a list of who needs flowers and what part of your décor will include flowers. To help you out, here are some ideas to keep in mind:

Bouquets may be needed for the bride, maid and/or matron of honor, bridesmaids, flower girls, junior bridesmaids, and a tossing bouquet.

Boutonnieres may be needed for the groom, best man, groomsmen, ushers, ring bearer, fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other key men such as uncles or readers.

Corsages may be needed for mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, and other key woman such as aunts, godmother or readers.

Flowers can be used in hair accessories for the bride, maid or matron of honor, bridesmaid, flower girls and junior bridesmaids.

Ceremony flowers can be used for entrance wreath, railing arrangements, pew end décor, altar arrangements, archway décor, petals for aisle and flower girls and tossing petals for guest.

Your Flower Timeline

Six to Eight Months Before Your Wedding

After you have picked your color palette and bridesmaid dresses, it’s time to start talking to florist to find the perfect match for your wedding. Get a few proposals and choose someone who sees your vision.

Two to Three Months Before Your Wedding

Meet with your florist and get a trail run of your flowers. It’s important to see what your bouquets and arrangements look the way you want them to.

Six Weeks Before Your Wedding

Your flowers should be ordered about two weeks before your wedding so now is a good time to speak with your florist and confirm you order to make sure you have everything for your big day.

Three to Four Weeks Before Your Wedding

Set up your wedding details with your florist. Decide on a time and place to meet on the day of the wedding. Also, make sure you pick a person to communicate and meet with your florist on your wedding day.

One Week Before Your Wedding

Confirm everything. Deliver time, addresses and your order – make sure it is all correct. If you have any changes, make them now.

All About the Bouquet

The Importance and Meaning

Your bouquet has a huge roll in your wedding whether you know it or not. The tradition of the bouquet comes from ancient Greece. Brides used to carry groups of herbs down the aisle with the idea of warding off evil spirits. Today, we have upgrades to beautiful bouquets. They are the key accessory for any bride and they even get their own close up in the wedding photos. Choosing the right style and flowers for your bouquet is crucial to your wedding day. Below you can find information about popular flower meanings and shapes of bouquets to help you build your perfect wedding day bouquet.

Bouquet Shapes

Nosegay Wedding Bouquet

Composite Wedding Bouquet

Round Wedding Bouquet

Pomander Wedding Bouquet

Pageant Wedding Bouquet

Posy Wedding Bouquet

Cascade Wedding Bouquet

Hand-tied Wedding Bouquet

Popular flower meanings

Anamone – expectation

Calla Lily – beauty

Carnation – love and fascination

Chrysanthemum (mum) – wealth, abundance, truth

Freesia – innocence

Hydrangea – understanding

Orchid – love and beauty

Rose – love, joy and beauty

Stephanotis – martial happiness

Tulip – love and passion

The Season Matters

Weddings are beautiful in every season but some flowers do better in certain seasons. Additionally, if you choose a seasonal flower for your wedding, you can save money! No matter which way you decide to go, here is our seasonal flower guide:

We hope these tips help you find the perfect wedding flowers. We’re always available to help! Conveniently located in Toms River, NJ, we’re here to help with all of your wedding flower needs. Stop by anytime or give us a call to get started.